Howl
by Halcyon Days No More
Summary: Roger Murtaugh hadn't really had any expectations when Avery had informed him that he would be getting a new partner. Even then he hadn't expected Martin Riggs: Detective, Navy SEAL, Grief stricken Widower, and Wolf…. Cross-posted on AO3. Don't re-post without author's permission.
1. Chapter 1

Six months. Half a year….

It felt more like half of eternity to Martin Riggs's as he woke muzzily headed to the scent of the half a dozen bottles of Jim, Jack, and Jose in various states of consumption that littered every available surface and the half moldering burger that lay still wrapped on the table in front of him.

He had been planning to eat something real the night before. His stomach had been screaming for it in fact, but in the end, he decided to drink his dinner.

The lone wolf dies, while the pack survives…. An old wolf proverb his granddaddy had taught him when he had still been just a pup himself. But what did the lone wolf do when he was the one that survived when his pack – his mate and unborn pup – where the ones that were lost instead?

The rumble of the surf and the salt air scent of Miranda's beach filtered into the old airstream as gulls called from the air and Riggs felt the yawning black abyss of grief twist open anew in his chest and he bit back whimper edged howl of his wolf behind teeth that were just a shade to sharp for all that he was in his human skin.

His girl. His boy, his mind tormented. His mate. His pup, his wolf howled.

He threw back another shot of cheap liquor (he'd stopped caring about quality a while ago) but was numb to the burn it should have scorched all the way down his gullet. Still it was something to help soften the jagged edges of his shattered self and could perhaps keep him from heeding the siren call of the revolver on the table before him. Keep him from shaming her as he ate the silver caped bullet he'd picked out special.

He stretched out a hand, slapped it down palm first upon the revolver and drew it towards himself, then with a flick of his wrist sent it spinning round and round like the world's most macabre game of spin the bottle.

It stopped barrel pointing at his sternum – "bang," he murmured, but he couldn't allow the revolver to speak with its own voice. His phone was ringing….

He still had work to do….


	2. Chapter 2

Roger Murtaugh couldn't say he was exactly surprised when Avery informed him he would be receiving a new partner. Avery's promotion to captain while he had been recovering from his heart attack had pretty much guaranteed it.

This did not, however, stop his eyebrows from attempting to join themselves with his nonexistent hairline as he heard the captain begin to rattle off the man's qualifications.

A lateral transfer from Texas who worked Vice _and_ Homicide – Murtaugh knew that unless this Martin Riggs was the lowest man on the totem pole then that did not mean busting teenagers for dime bags of weed. Texas was cartel country, after all…

His previous deduction was only reinforced when the captain dropped the little bombshell about the man being a former Navy SEAL. A _Lycan_ Navy SEAL.

"A real war hero," the captain finished.

 _Oh, no_ , Murtaugh thought, the slow steady beep of EKG app on his watch speeding up to a rapid tattoo. _Oh,_ _ **hell**_ _no_.

"Look, Cap, it's my first day back," Murtaugh attempted to reason, willing his heart to return to a slower rhythm as he climbed to his feet. Abandoning the ridiculous, supposedly expensive chair before he could slide down into it again with the purrt of clench cheeked fart. "I don't want to have to babysit some adrenaline junkie with PTSD turned sniffer dog!"

Avery climbed to his feet as well shuffling the folders on his desk.

"Look, just show him around for his first," he said reasonably. "The man's transfer came from the city attorney personally."

Before Roger had more than a moment to process there was a rap upon the fishbowl-like glass door of Captain Avery's office and a uniformed officer entered.

"Cap, we've got a bank robbery downtown – with hostages," the officer informed them. His face set and professional. A quick glance at Murtaugh and a glint of good-natured if wicked humor had the other man's mouth curling up in a quick smile. "Hey, Murtaugh, welcome back," he greeted. "I thought you were dead?"

"Not yet," he muttered with resignation. This was not at all the first day back he had been hoping and he hadn't even had a chance to meet his new partner. Could things get any worse?


End file.
